Monochromatic Digital Backs

[andre_oldani]

I just read the review about the monochromatic digital camera Kodak DCS 760m (http://

www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/kodak-760m.shtml). As the idea behind

- and the results of course - are very tempting, I am asking myself about such a technique

in a high end digital back. Please get me right, I do not want to start a war about film vs

digital or this brand versus that. It is only about the fact that the manufacturers of digital

back need to get seduced by possible market size. Looking at the myriad of new digital

SLR showing up even they might not ignore this niche any longer. As it seams there are

monochromatic sensors from Dalsa and maybe Kodak existing.

 

That's the reason why I put this question on the medium and large format forums: Is there

any substantial interest in true B&W digital cameras/backs in general and especially for

landscape and architectural work?

 

As I am related to ALPA (www.alpa.ch) I try a lot of gear in the field. Recently I did some

tests with the high end backs and the newest Schneider Digitar (even the pre-series

Digitar 5.6/35 XL) lenses (see www.digitar.alpavision.ch) on a Leaf Valeo 22. One can get

breathtaking results with that kind of digital device (eyelike / Jenoptik, Imacon /

Hasselblad, Phase One and Sinar also to mention) but the interpolation (and therefore

possible moire and especially stairs) takes away a lot of the advantage.

 

Anybody out there seriously minded in that area? THX in advance.

[ronald_moravec1]

I can`t financially justify the purchase of anything digital. A leica back and camera run $6500 and will be worthless in a few years. Medium and large format are even more out of sight.

 

One must have a business with enough volumn to offset the large costs in a short time frame with savings in film. Lately I read clients will not pay the equivalent of film costs for digital capture because they believe it is free to the photographer. Same with digital retouching.

 

I think this is the biggest scam to hit photography ever. There is precious little that you can do with digital that can`t be done with film if you know how, short of instant availabiliy of an image for a jouralist. Has anybody said they get better pics from digital? No they brag they are nearly as good.

[Jochen_S]

What to do with the pictures? Is there any device to write them to fibre paper?

[bruce watson]

I for one would love it. But I want a 100x125mm sensor, and I want the entire kit for digital capture to weigh no more than ten or twelve loaded filmholders.

 

If the sensor is smaller, it invalidates my lens kit. If it weighs any more, I can't schlep it up the mountain (my current LF kit weighs in at about 14Kg for an all day hike, and that's just under my limit).

 

For this, I'd give about the cost of one of my really nice lenses, say about USD 1200.

 

You know, I'm not going to be holding my breath for this...

[mark_muse]

I am with Hogarth, but I want a 6 x 7 cm sensor to fit my 2 x 3 Ebony for field use

(backpacking). And I sure don't want to buy another set of lenses.

 

I am not holding my breath either.

[andre_oldani]

The business here seems to be driven mostly from photo journalism, fashion,

advertisement et al. So the target are printed publications, posters and media. Here you

normally have the large volume of film and development cost that justifies the investment

(do no forget the whole chain from camera, lenses, digital device, computer and storage

one need). Going digital doesn't mean just putting a digital back on a camera.

 

If you want to see a sensor of dimensions like 6x7 or 100x125mm. Go outside, look

straight upwards in the nightly sky and maybe you are on a picture taken with such a

beast. Very little of course :-) Fairchild used to have a sensor of 84x84mm on their

website, BTW. But for your health sake, I'd not ask the price :-)

 

Regarding the weight of equipment: With the advent of new and very high resolving film

material we face a lot of professional photographers being tired of schlepping around their

LF gear. In addition we hear a lot from them about the much more restrictive regime on

flights (inner European flights allow often not more than 8kg of cabin luggage) and

forbidden tripods (for some strange and intransparent security reasons ... because one

could use them as a weapon???). My ALPA plus some 4 lenses, roll film back (6x9), light

meter, film etc. is not more than 7 kg :-)

[ellis_vener_photography]

Ronald wrote: "A leica back and camera run $6500 and will be worthless in a few years."

 

Every camera is worthless if you don't use it.

 

You have to look at the value of a digital camera this way; The price of the camera and

memory cards + the value of the photos you make while you are using it + the photos you

take that you would not have taken if you were worried about the cost of film and

processing - the cost of film and processing - the cost of scanning the photos you did

take. For some people the cost will be too high; for other people the purchase price of the

camera & cards will be far below the value of the images produced.